


the future is now and mine

by electricwaves



Series: Karl Jacobs Plays His Part [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, DSMP, Dream Smp, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreams vs. Reality, Dreamscapes, Gen, Help, Mentions of BadBoyHalo, Minecraft Roleplay - Freeform, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Tales From The Dream SMP, Tales From The SMP, Time Shenanigans, Time Travel, Time traveller Karl Jacobs, fictional characters, i brainrotted so hard, idk how i wrote this so fast, mentions of quackity, mentions of ranboo, tales from the smp the lost city of mizu, the lost city of mizu, time traveller dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28974759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electricwaves/pseuds/electricwaves
Summary: As a Portal-Jumper and time traveller, Karl has never felt the burden of responsibility more than when he'd come back to the Present after living through the terrible future that was the Lost City of Mizu.If that was one of the possible futures, then he needed to change the present. The past. The entirety of what was about to come, or what had already happened, or what they were  doing at that very second.He needed to play his part.
Series: Karl Jacobs Plays His Part [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2125284
Comments: 6
Kudos: 79





	the future is now and mine

The Portal sputtered and spat Karl from its swirling teal and violet abyss, his mouth stuck in a flat line even as he belly-flopped onto the stone, his eyes wrenching open and blurring from the sudden light. 

Karl always enjoyed going around the different portals and visiting different timelines—even if this one, the Present, was his favorite—but today was much more terrifying than he could’ve ever thought. He sighed wistfully at the floor, wishing for the umpteenth time that everything, especially the Present, was just a bit less chaotic so his brain didn’t feel so scrambled every time he talked to someone. He called Tubbo ‘Robin’ the other day, for goodness’ sake, and he was sure he might call ‘Ranbob’ instead of ‘Ranboo.’ His slip-ups sure didn't help his cover. 

With a heavy groan, Karl’s palms soon found themselves lying flat on the ground, his arms trembling underneath his weight as he struggled to straighten up. He needed to get to his Reminiscence Room before it was too late, before his mind whisked away what he’d just seen and his answers became lost and forgotten. 

Glancing at the Portal for a split second, Karl drew a sharp breath and turned, reaching into the first chest and fetching two books, two quills, and the cover that would inscribe a visualization of today's Travel, shoving it all into his bottomless hoodie pocket. Karl was almost proud of the pep in his step as he followed the familiar path through his dark cave, jaw set in a determined grimace as he scaled the sets of ladders. He wobbled a bit on the last few rungs. His mind was still a bit foggy, but his memory was as fresh as it could’ve been. He _had_ to write everything down, and he _had_ to do it now.

Letting out a grunt as he shoved against his spruce trapdoor, Karl emerged from the tunnel and landed with a gentle _thud_ onto a carpet matching the pattern on his clothes. The Reminiscence Room was always a lovely sight to behold—showcasing a plethora of item frames, most of which left empty (at that particular moment), illuminated only by the cyan glow of soul lanterns. It was fitting, seeing as how the soul of the entire SMP could’ve arguably been fit into that very room. Or, at least, it would be. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the book and quills, carefully setting them down onto the table with a calculating smile. Karl flipped to the first page, expertly dipping the quill into a bottle of ink before getting down to business, allowing the whispers that crowded his thoughts to take over his hand, finding their tangible home in the blank page.

_The Lost City of Mizu,_

_A terrible place from many years in the future. It was told that four brave fishermen went in, looking for stories to tell themselves, but ended up only meeting the same fate as the many residents of this once happy city._

The book snapped shut, offering only its front for Karl to sign. He reached for the jar of ink and refilled his quill, scribbling _City of Mizu_ into the leather. The whispers were quieter now. He’d done good. Karl fixed the book next to the Travel that preceded it, his eyes scanning the recordings of his past adventures with an odd sort of lucidity. _In, and out. In, and out_. He took a few more deep breaths and retrieved the cover paper from his pocket, watching as colors marred the yellowed fiber stroke by stroke until it transformed into a poster. 

“I see,” he mumbled, nodding now that the truth had been revealed to him. The paint never lied, and in his hands was a picture that illustrated nothing short of evidence. Ranbob was somehow Dream’s descendant, Cletus was Quackity’s, and Benjamin was BadBoyHalo’s. That explained a lot about each of their behaviors. Unfurling the corners of the poster just a bit more and giving it another careful scrutinization, Karl mounted it into the frame above the _City of Mizu_ volume, reaching for the last book and quill—his final entry for that day. 

_Diary Entry #1_

_Each time I travel I remember less and less. I really need to start writing these as soon as I come back to the present day…_

_I’m going to start keeping track of every time I travel…_

_I’m worried one day I’ll travel and not even remember who I am anymore._

_……_

_No._

_I can’t stop…_

_I have to keep doing my part…_

_Maybe if I travel enough, I’ll be able to right some wrongs…_

_Maybe do something to prevent all of the bad I keep seeing._

_I need to keep this quiet. I can’t tell anyone what happens or how I know these stories…_

_But I can try to do my part to steer this world in the correct direction._

_Till next time._

_Don’t forget who you are._

Clapping shut once more, the book provided nothing but the cover for Karl to etch onto. He simply titled it _Diary #1_ before settling it into the chest in the corner, relief coursing through his veins and calming the fire that'd been fueling him. His footsteps were light as they made their way up the dark oak stairs, pausing as his nose brushed against his bookshelves. His pointer finger hooked onto the spine of a red-covered book, the whirrings and hisses of redstone and pistons activating a hushed, familiar melody to his ears as the bookshelf slid into the stone wall for a split seconds, letting Karl slip through the crack before it set back into place with a silent clunk. 

The job now finally done, Karl swung open his front door, the air of what was once L’Manberg filling up his dusty lungs. He imagined it to be cleansing, the boiling burden of secrets and responsibilities that itched at his skin simmering down at the sound of rushing water below him and the absence of noise from the lack of people around. The sky felt abnormally clear, shades of cerulean beginning to merge into salmon as the hints of sunset peeked just above the horizon. Karl brushed himself off even though his clothes were clean, and that’s when it hit him—his hoodie was inverted in color. 

He really was going to start losing himself. 

But only if he wasn’t careful. And he would be, from now on.

Karl squared his shoulders as the sun sank ever lower, the world before him turning into copper and indigo. It was going to be a new day, and that meant there were going to be new things to do. New seconds in every direction being spent. New actions. New words. New chains of events being set into motion. With a final look at the world, his current world, the one that he could not alter, Karl spun on his heel and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in until the door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

Wrinkles etched their way onto Karl’s forehead as he tossed and turned in his bed later that night, haunted by nightmares consisting of voices and shapes and feelings that were both overwhelming and nonsensical at once. 

He was just about to repeat his nightmare of tripping and falling into a void made up of colors that burned his eyes when Karl felt a force so sharp it stole the breath from right out of his throat, knocking him clear off of his feet and onto his stomach. 

Blinking, Karl found himself staring at a familiar pair of battered green sneakers so close to his face he could practically smell the rubber. With an over-exaggerated groan, he craned his neck and blinked up at the shadow looming over him.

"Dream. How fitting. Can I help you?" Karl asked, the rude question overshadowed by the grin lighting up his face. Karl was the type of person who smiled with his whole body. 

“Yeah, by getting up,” Dream said, tilting his head in amusement. “You don’t look so good from this angle.” 

“Really, now?” Karl scoffed as Dream extended a gloved hand, taking it in stride and giving the other man a loud high-five. A few swipes, and the dirt from his colorful hoodie was basically gone. It was weird, how real this seemed. Dream within a dream. “I’m not sure what you mean, because I look great from every angle.” Dream shook his head, chuckling a bit under his breath. Karl didn’t even realize how rare Dream’s laugh had become until it dawned on him that he hadn’t heard it in weeks. He smiled, feeling like a god for being able to cheer his friend up. Even if it wasn’t real. Even if the actual Dream was locked behind walls of unbreakable obsidian. 

“That does sound tempting, but no, I just wanted to ask you a question. It’s not safe to ask you in real life, and, well, I missed my chance seeing as how I’m stuck behind bars.”

Karl froze. Was he hearing things? “I’m sorry, what?”

“Did I stutter? I want to ask you a question, Karl.”

This was oddly real. “Wait, are you actually Dream? You’re real? You’re the real person in my dream right now? Holy cow, this is confusing.”

Dream gave another few breathy laughs, “Yes, it’s actually me. Listen, I’ll have the time to answer your questions later, but I want you to answer one of mine.”

“Me?” Well, that was a surprise. Karl was far from being one of the most knowledgeable people on the SMP. 

“Yes, you.”

“But why?” Karl scratched at the back of his neck, “I mean, what do I know that nobody else does?” Dream cocked his hip, and Karl knew that through the mask, Dream was raising an eyebrow and rolling his eyes at him.

“Oh, come on. I expect honest answers; I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying or not.”

“Ok, ok, sheesh. No need to get so aggressive, I’ve got nothing to hide.” _Well, I’ve got one thing,_ Karl thought with a crooked smile, shrugging as he gave Dream a little bow. “Please, ask away.” 

“I don’t really know how to word this, to be honest.” Dream folded his arms and lightly kicked at the ground with his feet. “I mean, don’t you ever get bored?”

“Bored?” Karl parroted. “Bored of what?” 

“Bored of _this_ ,” Dream gestured with the wave of his arm. “Bored of it all. Bored of wandering around for millennia and watching the world change when you stay the same.” 

Hold on a minute. “How do you know about that? I thought I was careful enough about it…” If Dream had him figured out, it was only a matter of time before the others would catch on, too. Of course he’d be stupid enough to leak his secret. Karl was really not the most optimal of Portal-Jumpers. 

“No,” Dream said. Karl could feel himself age about a century until Dream flailed his hands around. “I mean, _yes_ , you’ve been pretty smart about hiding it save for a few blunders, but _no_ , you’re not the only one.” 

Wait. Pause. “You’re—?” Karl fixed Dream with a bewildered look, the cogs and gears in his head twisting and turning until he heard the faint _click_ of pieces gradually falling into place. “Oh. That’s how you’re doing this, huh?”

“Yeah. I know you must’ve noticed how I don’t ever change throughout the years. Everyone’s past carnations usually look different. They have different clothes, different names, different genders, or some mix of any of those. Sometimes they have similar-looking skins, sometimes they don’t. But I’m always Dream. I’m always wearing the same lime green clothes and the same smiley mask and the same jeans and gloves. You know what I mean?” 

Karl nodded as best as he could in his paralyzed state of awe, his jaw a bit sore from opening so sharply. Ranbob was the only exception to everything Dream just mentioned, and to be honest, Karl was still confused as to how someone who he was sure was a descendant of Ranboo showed up as Dream on the painting, but he chose not to say anything. “I mean, I don’t know, I just thought you were some kind of an anomaly. The universe always has to have one.” 

“I agree with that completely,” Dream adjusted his mask, “but I don’t think I’m it.”

_Maybe you are, though._ Karl cleared his throat. “Then what is?” He didn’t really expect Dream to give him an answer, but his friend always found new ways to surprise him. 

“Let me show you.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
